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Terdoslavich knocks in four in Saguaros' win

Terdoslavich knocks in four in Saguaros' win

Joey Terdoslavich was the king of doubles in the Minor Leagues this season, so it's only appropriate that he's working hard and taking the extra base in Arizona.

The Braves prospect's bases-loaded triple in the sixth inning on Wednesday was the knockout blow for Surprise as the Saguaros defeated the Phoenix Desert Dogs, 5-3, in the Arizona Fall League.

Terdoslavich also doubled and drove in all but one of the Saguaros' runs.

"Normally, I like to take first the pitch every at-bat, but that situation was a little different," said Terdoslavich, who broke a 65-year-old Carolina League record with 52 doubles for Class A Advanced Lynchburg. "In those types of situations, with a runner on third and less than two outs, you're looking for something up early I can drive to the outfield, get the run in.

"The first pitch was a fastball up in the zone and I just put a good swing on it," he said. "The center fielder [Anthony Gose] overran it a little and it hit off the wall, so I was able to get into third."

The switch-hitting first baseman got Surprise ahead early with an RBI double off A's right-hander Tyson Ross in the first inning. It was his third two-bagger in four AFL games.

"When I hit it, I had a 1-1 fastball up and away, and I missed it a little, got under a little," Terdoslavich said. "The left fielder [Rob Segedin] was going back on it and lost it in the sun a little, it hit off the middle of the wall. I hit it pretty good."

After his triple gave Surprise a 4-3 lead in the sixth, Terdoslavich trotted home on a base hit by Rays first-round pick Mikie Mahtook.

"They were playing the infield in," he said. "It was a hard chopper in the hole, their shortstop [Dusty Coleman] was at full extension, but he couldn't get to it. He hit it good. We're just staying with our approach and got some good pitches to hit, put some runs together."

For Terdoslavich, a 2010 sixth-round pick, the invitation to Arizona is a chance to work on his defense at a few other positions. A first baseman, he said he's worked at both infield corners this fall as well as the outfield before games.

"It's great so far, especially being on a winning team," the 23-year-old said. "We have a great bunch of guys, personalities, just great players on every team. It's a great league so far."

Terdoslavich is coming off a season in which he hit .286 with 20 homers and 82 RBIs. He ranked fourth in the Braves' system in RBIs and fifth in homers. The Carolina League midseason and postseason All-Star led the Minors in doubles as one of only two players to accumulate at least 50.

Terdoslavich is joined in the Surprise lineup by fellow Braves farmhands Christian Bethancourt and Todd Cunningham along with four Atlanta pitching prospects. He's determined to make the most of his time in the league.

"I'm just working on my approach when I'm out here, my approach offensively, refining my defense a little bit," he said. "[I want to] learn first base a little better and I'm taking fly balls in the outfield, at third. Just any way I can get better out here, any way I can take advantage, that's the whole reason we're here."

Rays right-hander Marquis Fleming (1-0) got the win in relief, throwing two scoreless innings after starter Neil Ramirez (Rangers) allowed a run on three hits over four frames.

Alejandro Ramos (Marlins) walked a batter and hit another in the ninth before striking out the Yankees' Corban Joseph to record his first save.

Ross went two innings and held Surprise to a run on two hits. Blue Jays southpaw Evan Crawford (0-1) took the loss after surrendering four runs on five hits over two frames.